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(CALIFORNIA GLOBE) – Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to cancel the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and to not attend the annual menorah lighting ceremony on December 6th continued to receive backlash this week, with many religious and legal groups continuing to chastise the Governor for not taking part.
The Capitol tree lighting in Sacramento has been a part of holiday festivities in the state since 1931, when then-Governor James Rolph set up a tree next to his office in the Capitol as a central point for gift exchanges and to help bring something positive in during the Great Depression. Within 20 years, the annual tradition turned into an entire ceremony, and by the 1980’s, it became the official annual Christmas tree of California. Other parts added around the Capitol to include other faiths, such as a menorah lighting, were also added.
During COVID years, the tradition received something of a speed bump, as for the first time the ceremony wasn’t public and was instead done remotely. While there were some who called for the ceremony to still be in-person, the majority of people tended to see the remote ceremony as a compromise because of the pandemic. While the ceremony soon went back to being in-person, all of that changed yet again early this month.
The 2023 ceremony, which is celebrating it’s 92nd year, was canceled a few days before the ceremony was to have taken place earlier this month. While the two lighting ceremonies always prove to be popular, pro-Palestinian groups threatened to attend the events and call out Newsom over his stance on the Israel-Gaza war.
“We want to call out Governor Gavin Newsom for hiding from the public because he doesn’t want to face their anger at his shameful stance in regard to the genocide in Gaza,” said the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights.
Newsom’s office also gave a statement, claiming safety reasons for cancelling the event, and instead saying that it would be virtual.
